Just A Little Push
by shipnation
Summary: This is my submission for the RichonneOween Week on Tumblr. Widow(er) Wednesday. Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead


_**RichonneOween Week. Day Four Widow(er) Wednesday. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

 _"They are completely oblivious."_ Lori said.

 _"I know."_ Mike replied.

Both Mike and Lori watched their loved ones, work awkwardly around each other as they were getting ready to start their work day. Living in a home with so many people in one house with only two bathrooms, morning routines were often cut short, and most of the time they overlapped.

"Excuse me." Michonne said trying to get to her toothbrush that sat in the cup at the sink.

"Sorry." Rick stepped back, allowing Michonne to pass in front of him, while he continued to shave his face. He let the stubble grow out long enough, but now it was starting to itch and he had enough of his Moses beard out on the road. He tilted his head up, trying to get a glimpse into the mirror as Michonne brushed her teeth at the sink in front of him.

 _"What should we do?"_ Mike asked.

 _"Maybe they just need a little push."_ Lori suggested. She then proceeded to push Rick gently from behind and into Michonne.

It felt like a strong gust of wind, unbalancing him, causing Rick to fall forward right into Michonne's backside, as she leaned over the sink to rinse her mouth.

"Hey!" she said, spitting out the toothpaste and wiping the excess around her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned back to face Rick.

His face was completely dumbfounded, it was quite adorable, if she were to admit it to herself. He still had shaving cream on one side of his face, his mouth foolishly agape as he thought of a way to explain himself. "I must've got disoriented or something." he reasoned.

"You feeling alright?" Michonne asked, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

His expression did not match the words, but Michonne did not push any further. "Uh huh." She replaced her toothbrush in its holder and walked out the bathroom. Rick's eyes followed her as she made her exit.

 _"Smooth."_ Mike said. Lori looked pitifully at her husband. In all her years she had known him, smooth was never a word she would use to describe Rick.

* * *

Downstairs, Michonne brewed a fresh pot of coffee, grabbed a red mug and poured some for herself. She leaned against the counter taking a sip and recalled Rick in the bathroom just a few moments ago. His awkwardness was amusing to her, and she loved to tease him about it.

She smiled, recalling the look of embarrassment on his face. It was so cute. "Disoriented." She chuckled out loud at his reasoning.

 _"She's in love."_ Mike observed.

 _"Yep, that's the look."_ Lori added. They stood, one on each side of Michonne, watching her across dimensions.

Rick entered the kitchen and immediately Michonne removed the smile off her face, not wanting to give away that she was just thinking about him. He walked over to the coffee pot next to where she stood, and poured himself a cup as well. Just being alone in each other's presence, the air in the room suddenly felt thicker. Neither one saying anything to the other. Rick stood across from her, leaning on the kitchen island, he took a sip of the hot black coffee.

"Wish we had milk." he mused.

"Yeah, or creamer." she added.

They both continued to quietly sip their drinks, avoiding eye contact with one another.

 _"So what now?"_ Lori said to Mike.

With a sly smile, Mike put his ghostly finger to the base of Michonne's mug. _"Just this."_

He flipped Michonne's mug out of her hand, the hot liquid splashing onto Rick's shirt, the bright red mug shattering on the floor.

"Ow, shit!" Rick screamed. As the hot liquid burned his chest.

"Oh my God! I dunno how ... it just..." Michonne quickly went to grab the kitchen towel that lay by the sink and patted at Rick's chest. "I'm so sorry." she said mortified.

Mike began laughing at the sight, Rick and Michonne impervious to his ridicule.

 _"That's mean!"_ Lori exclaimed, but she too began to giggle as Michonne helplessly tried to clean the coffee off of Rick's chest.

"It's okay." Rick untucked his shirt from his pants and began to unbutton it. Michonne's breath caught as she took a look at Rick's solid physique. It was not like she had not seen it before, but still it was a beautiful sight. It was also pretty red from the first degree burn she just laid on him.

"That looks so bad." Michonne turned to the sink and wet the kitchen towel with cold water.

Wringing it out she brought it to Rick's chest to sooth his skin.

Rick hissed as the cold cloth made contact. "Sorry." Michonne apologized again. Rick looked down at her as she intently tried to sooth the pain on his chest. It stung a little, but not nearly as bad as it did a minute ago. It felt nice having her touch him like that and he was secretly relishing in it.

Michonne gently dabbed at his skin, so not to hurt him too much. "Feel better?" She asked.

Her scent had captivated him, and he did not quite hear what she had said. "Huh?"

"Is the cold helping? Does it feel better?" she reiterated.

"Yeah, feels good." he drawled out.

Michonne smirked to herself. That accent really did a number on her. She timidly looked up at him. He was staring directly into her eyes now, causing her heart to beat a little faster. She stopped dabbing the cloth, but her hand stayed firmly on his chest. She met his gaze until her eyes began to fall to his beautiful pink lips.

"Michonne?"

"Hmmm?" she answered still hypnotized by the movement of his mouth.

"You finished?"

Finally snapping back to the present, she backed away. "Mmm hmm. Finished."

Rick stood there for a moment, watching her. They both felt it, knowing what they wanted to do, but neither making a move.

 _"I have a feeling we may be haunting them for rest of their lives if they don't kiss already."_ Lori decided.

 _"They are both so damn stubborn."_ Mike added.

"I'm going to go get another shirt." Rick stated, breaking the silence.

Michonne nodded, then bent down and began wiping up the spill and picking the pieces up of the broken mug.

 _"So stubborn."_ Lori confirmed.

* * *

 _"Dammit, babe."_ Mike said, annoyed at his love.

 _"What can we do other than completely spell it out for them? Red letters on the bathroom mirror or something?"_ Lori asked.

 _"We have to remind them_." Mike answered as he studied Michonne cleaning up the spill. _"We have to remind them of what love feels like."_ he said.

 _"How do we do that?"_ Lori questioned.

 _"Make them remember us."_

Mike bent down to where Michonne was kneeling on the floor. He wished badly he could touch her, feel her, let her know just how sorry he was for everything. All he wanted was for her to be happy. She told him they could survive in this world and she did, she's doing it, but she is not living in it. There was only one way he thought she would remember. Mike lifted his hand out and pulled at the gold chain on her neck. It easily fell out onto the floor in front of her.

"Dammit!" Michonne mumbled to herself. Touching her neck at where the necklace was just hanging. She sat back on the floor and picked up, contemplating it out in front of her. "Shit." She never took that necklace off. It was important. Most people automatically think that the M stands for Michonne, but that was not the whole of it. Not really.

It was Christmas Eve and Michonne was pregnant. Really, really pregnant. She and Mike were just getting their lives in order. They bought a new high-rise condo, and it would be their first Christmas together as a family. Mike made hot chocolate for the two of them as they sat by the Christmas tree and looked out into the night sky over the bright lights of the city. Everything was beautiful. Everything was gorgeous. Mike pulled out a long velvet box and gave it to Michonne. An early Christmas gift. Inside was a simple gold necklace, with a tiny M pendant. He explained how he wanted to buy her a ring, but money was tight with them just buying a home and a baby on the way. So, he came upon the M necklace and immediately thought of her. It was a simple M for Michonne and Mike. It was his promise that he would always be with her, no matter where their lives take them. And when Andre was old enough, they would pass it on to him, so he could wear it and always know just how much his parents loved him. Just one M. Michonne and Mike.

A tear fell from her eye as she recalled the memory. She remembered the love that she felt that Christmas Eve like it was yesterday. She had been so happy with him before all of this.

Mike brought his hand to her face instinctively to wipe away the tears.

"Mike?"

Taken aback, Mike wondered if she felt him. "I'm here baby." He said.

Michonne did not hear him, but she felt his presence. She always felt him in some capacity, even when she stopped seeing him. Her mind shifted to Rick. He was the first person to make her feel the way she did when she was with Mike. The first person she actually wanted to be around since the turn. Life has always been short, but no shorter than what it is now. She wiped the rest of the tears away and stood up, placing the necklace in her pocket.

"Thank you." She whispered to her long lost love.

Michonne left the kitchen and went to find Rick in his room.

If ghosts could cry, Mike would have been a puddle of tears as he smiled happily after her.

* * *

Rick pulled out a shirt from the dresser drawer to change into. He threw the coffee stained one into the hamper, and put on it's replacement. Rick took a seat on his bed and began thinking about her, like he often did in this room. Using his thumb he twisted the gold band on his finger. He thought about the vows he made. How in the beginning everything was great, with her, with Carl. Then somewhere along the way he screwed it up.

 _"Rick, you have to let me go."_ Lori spoke, knowing he could not hear her as she watched him continue to twirl the ring on his finger.

Lori sat beside him. Placing her hand, and rubbing at the back of his neck like she used to do when he was stressed. Rick closed his eyes at the strange yet familiar sensation. Transcending him to a time when everything was okay. When he felt happy. When he felt loved.

"Lori?" he looked around the room. Not seeing her, but definitely feeling her.

She smiled. Knowing he still remembered her. And not just the bad, but the good times. The best times. The love. He had a second chance now, and she did not want him to miss it.

Lori got up from beside Rick and moved to Carl's side of the room. His backpack was lying on the bed, and with one motion, she pushed it over. Rick turned his head startled. Out fell his sons belongings, some comic books and a half eaten Big Cat.

Rick went over to the backpack on the floor. A small grin painted his face as he thought of that day with Michonne and Carl on the railroad tracks. It was the first time he felt content with his boy. Just for a small moment the whole world hadn't died. His heart swelled when he thought of Michonne and her smile. The look of pure joy on his son's face. He remembered it being the first time he laughed since he lost everything, and even though they still had nothing, they had each other. Michonne was the catalyst.

"I get it Lori." he said out loud to the empty room.

A soft rapping at the door grabbed his attention. He shoved the books and candy back in Carl's bag and placed it on the bed again.

He opened the door to find Michonne standing at the other side.

"Rick, I-" she started.

Without wanting to waste another second on words, he captured her lips in his own. Softly at first, then deeper as she submitted to him, to the feeling, and to the commitment of love.

 _"Took 'em long enough."_ Lori said as she watched her husband start over again, knowing that Michonne was the best woman for the job.

 _"Sure did."_ Mike answered. _"Let's give them some privacy."_ Taking Lori's hand they faded away, destined to peek in from time to time just in case their loved ones needed a little more push.

 **The End.**


End file.
